Charter Oak Federal Credit Union is providing an additional $37,500 in emergency grants to 15 food pantries and meal programs in eastern Connecticut, bringing the credit union’s total food-assistance donations in April to $75,000, the largest one-month donation in the credit union’s 81-year history. Charter Oak Donates Additional $37,500 to 15 Food Pantries
“The need is still great to provide food assistance to the many individuals and families who’ve been directly impacted by the Coronavirus,” said Brian A. Orenstein, Charter Oak’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Now more than ever these food centers need our help to meet the overwhelming demand they’re facing.”
Each of the 15 food pantries and meal programs in New London and Windham counties will receive an additional $2,500 grant donation, bringing their total individual donation from Charter Oak to $5,000 each during April.
Earlier this month, Charter Oak’s Community Giving Committee provided an initial $37,500 to these same 15 organizations to help re-stock their shelves. In past years, Charter Oak has made year-end donations to these soup kitchens and food pantries as a special holiday gift and thank you for all they do throughout the year. “But given this unprecedented health crisis we’re all confronting, we felt these donations are the best use of our grant monies at this time to meet this critical food shortage,” Orenstein said.
Charter Oak also continues to assist its members during this COVID-19 crisis through numerous initiatives, including individual mortgage relief, skip-a-pay programs, and small-business lending assistance. “We’re here for our members, and we want to hear from them if they need help right now to get through this,” Orenstein said. Charter Oak’s full-service Contact Center is available for member assistance by calling 860.446.8085 during regular business hours.
In addition, Charter Oak offers numerous safe banking practices to its members through full-service drive-up locations in New London and Windham counties as well as its convenient and extensive eBanking services. Members can also call Charter Oak’s 24/7 Info-Phone banking service at 860.445.4636 and additional information can be found on the credit union’s Coronavirus Updates section on its CharterOak.org website.
The 15 food-assistance agencies who will receive a total of $5,000 each from Charter Oak are: Always Home in Mystic; Care & Share of East Lyme; Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic; Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center in New London; Groton Social Services Food Lockers; Friends of Assisi Food Pantry in Danielson; Interfaith Human Services of Putnam-Daily Bread; Montville Food Bank; New London Area Food Pantry; New London Community Meal Center; New London Homeless Hospitality Center; Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center; Rosalyn Allen Food Pantry in Norwich; Saint Mary’s Church Food Pantry in Jewett City; and Saint Vincent De Paul Place in Norwich. These combined donations total $75,000 in emergency grant funding from Charter Oak that will allow these 15 agencies to provide much-needed food assistance across eastern Connecticut.
Charter Oak is eastern Connecticut’s largest credit union with assets of nearly $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2019. Charter Oak has an expansive and convenient branch network serving all of New London and Windham counties. For additional information about Charter Oak’s products and services, as well as Coronavirus updates, please visit CharterOak.org. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender.
About Charter Oak Federal Credit Union
Charter Oak Federal Credit Union is like a bank, just better! We've been proudly serving eastern Connecticut since 1939 and we offer great checking, deposit, lending, insurance and investment products. And because we're a credit union, we're owned by our members, not by shareholders. So we can offer lower rates on loans and higher rates on deposits. It's easy to become a Charter Oak member: simply live, work, worship, learn, or volunteer in New London or Windham counties. So join today and see why Members Bank Better at Charter Oak!
